. . . And End Smokers' Discount

January 10, 1986|By yellow

With defense cuts looming, the Pentagon should take any chance it gets to save $77 million a year while improving the health of military personnel. That's why Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger should end the sharp discount on cigarettes sold at military exchanges and commissaries.

This change, urged by the Senate and some Pentagon aides, wouldn't hurt national security one whit. Sure, there would be muttering among men and women in uniform: Unlike the civilian populace, most soldiers are smokers.

But that very fact suggests that the commissary price -- one-third lower than retail -- encourages soldiers to light up. At a time when Washington is straining to pay the rising health costs of veterans, such an incentive is senseless.

Last year Mr. Weinberger snuffed out the idea of a price increase, calling it ''a significant loss of non-pay compensation.'' Sure enough, anything that saves $77 million is significant. But here's one way to save millions annually without hurting national security. It's time for Mr. Weinberger to stop letting these defense dollars go up in smoke.